Fathead pizza dough, just like regular pizza dough, has a variety of uses! It is the perfect beginner recipe to learn when first embarking on the keto diet. After many years of making keto pizza crust from fathead dough, I've learned a lot of tricks to make it as easy as possible so you can enjoy it every time you have a pizza craving!
Fathead Dough - Keto Pizza Crust
When I first started keto, one of the initial keto recipes I perfected was keto pizza crust made from fathead dough. Pizza is one of my favorite foods, so if I wanted to eat a low carb diet, I had to find a good substitute that was better than cauliflower pizza crust!
I am not telling a story when I say that pizza made from fathead dough is just as good, if not better than the real thing! In fact, my picky kids love this pizza dough recipe for pizza night! We also like to just eat the toppings sometimes so I make keto pizza casserole, or Crustless Pizza.
Fathead pizza dough is definitely easier than making traditional pizza dough. It uses simple ingredients and there is no yeast involved so we aren't needing to let the dough rise. This means fresh homemade pizza in about 20 minutes!
Ingredients needed
For your convenience, I have all the ingredients listed here for the keto pizza crust recipe, followed by the step by step procedure with photos. If you would like to print the recipe, please click here for the recipe card.
- 1 ¾ cup (196g) shredded mozzarella cheese: Cheese is the first ingredient in our fathead dough recipe. The cheese is necessary to give the dough the best texture like a traditional chewy pizza crust.
- ¾ cup (196g) almond flour: You could also use almond meal for this recipe or ⅓ cup coconut flour.
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning: or your favorite seasonings like garlic powder.
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) cream cheese
- 1 large beaten egg: if you're using coconut flour you will need 2 eggs.
- Your favorite sauce: You can use whatever sauce you like on your pizza. Marinara or pizza sauce, ranch dressing, Alfredo, or olive oil all work well.
- Your favorite pizza toppings: more shredded cheese, parmesan cheese, and all the other usual suspects such as pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, and vegetables like mushrooms, fresh basil, or bell peppers.
Step-by-step instructions
Follow my simple steps with photos for the best low carb pizza crust the whole family will love. It truly is the best keto pizza crust.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400F (200C) and make the pizza base: In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the shredded mozzarella cheese with the dry ingredients. Microwave on high for 1 minute. If not completely melted, microwave for 30 seconds more. Combining the almond flour with the cheese will make mixing the ingredients together so much easier after melting!
Step 2: Use a spoon or rubber spatula to mix the cream cheese into the dough. When the dough is cool enough to handle, add the egg and mix it all together with your clean hands to form a dough ball.
Step 3: Working quickly, place the dough ball on a piece of oiled parchment paper and use wet hands or an oiled rolling pin to spread the dough into a pizza shape about 10-12 (25-30cm) inches wide (either round or oblong). You can go for a thin crust pizza or a thick crust that would be smaller in diameter.
Step 4: Place the parchment paper directly on the oven rack with the pizza crust and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Keep and eye on it and pop any bubbles that form in the crust.
You can also use a baking sheet, pizza pan (less crispy pizza) or a pizza stone (more crispy crust).
Step 5: Remove the crust from the oven and top with your favorite toppings. Bake for 8-10 minutes more.
I want to thank the original recipe developer of the fathead pizza dough recipe, Cooky's Creations. She has made life in the keto world so much easier.
More fathead dough uses:
- Keto Calzones
- Pizza Pockets
- Keto Flatbread
- Keto Cheese Danishes
- People have also used it to make keto bagels, keto dinner rolls, and sweet recipes like keto cinnamon rolls.
Perfect Fathead Dough Recipe for Keto Pizza Crust
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Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- ¾ cup almond flour (see my favorite on Amazon)
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 ounce Cream Cheese
- 1 Large Egg
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400F (200C). Prepare a sheet of parchment paper by rubbing it with oil or cooking spray. You must use parchment paper, not wax paper.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, mix together the mozzarella cheese, almond flour, Italian seasoning, and salt. Microwave on high for 1 minute. If not completely melted, melt for 30 seconds more. (see notes for stovetop method)
- Add the cream cheese to the mozzarella mixture and combine with a spoon. when the dough is cool enough to handle, add in the egg and mix well with hands.
- Dump the dough out on to a piece of parchment paper. Wet your hands and press the dough into a 10-12 inch (25-30cm) circle or oblong shape. Place the parchment paper and pizza crust directly on the oven rack and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Keep and eye on it and pop any bubbles that form in the crust.
- Remove the crust from the oven and top with your favorite toppings. Bake for 8-10 minutes more.
- Cut into 6-8 slices and serve. 1 pizza crust recipe makes 4 servings.
Notes
- Nutrition is for ¼ of the crust only. Any toppings you add will be extra.
- For a coconut flour crust: use ⅓ cup coconut flour in place of the almond flour and increase the eggs to 2.
- For stovetop instead of microwave: Place the glass bowl with mozzarella and flour over a pot of simmering water (to make a double boiler) and stir until melted.
- For a crispier crust: After pre-baking, flip the crust before adding the toppings.
- To freeze fathead pizza crust: Follow directi0ns 1-4 for pre-baking the crust. Make as many as you need and stack the crusts in the freezer with the parchment paper. Freeze for 1 hour, then wrap in plastic wrap followed by foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, pre-heat oven, remove from freezer (no need to thaw), add your favorite toppings, and bake in 400F oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Refrigerate or freeze a fathead dough ball: Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Wrap in multiple layers of plastic wrap and freeze for 2 months.
- Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy only. Please re-calculate on your own with the ingredients and amounts you used for the most accurate data.
Kat says
Only one ounce cream cheese?
Jennifer Banz says
yes
Jennifer Allen says
Great tasting and not overly difficult makes this a winner for pizza! I rolled it to 12” plus for a thinner crust and cooked it a little extra time. Wish I could show you a picture of my finished pizza!
Nicholas K. says
My new favorite gluten free pizza crust. No more having to buy gluten free frozen pizzas to get my pizza fix. This crust recipe is the best tasting one that I have found after trying a bunch. Thanks!